Stress expert to open Worksafe Expo 2005

29 April 2005

Stress expert to open Worksafe Expo 2005

One of Australasia's most innovative thinkers on workplace stress is keynote speaker at the opening in Auckland next week of New Zealand's largest annual health & safety event.

Worksafe Expo 2005 – a trade exhibition with seminars, all free to the public - is located at the new TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau City, next to Rainbow's End. The event has been run since 1999 and is organised by Safeguard magazine.

New South Wales-based David Brown, author of the popular book Beating Stress at Work, has observed dysfunctional organisations for more than 20 years in his roles as organisational psychologist, ergonomist and safety consultant.

His address, entitled "Mind-reading and other managerial skills", will consider the balance between asking stressed employees to help themselves and requiring their supervisors or managers to do something about it.

Safeguard editor Peter Bateman says the topic is particularly timely, given the recent OSH prosecution of a Nelson engineering firm for failing to do enough to protect the health of an employee known to be in a stressful role.

"David is one of the few people on either side of the Tasman who is able to cut through the jargon and explain how to avoid workplace stress in language that everyone can understand and act upon, so employers can get on top of the stress issue before it even starts."

Worksafe Expo's exhibition floor will feature more than 60 exhibitors, who will demonstrate an array of the latest products and services to assist with the management of health and safety in the workplace. New this year is a wellness suite, where visitors can have a free health check carried out by a medical practitioner.

Opening hours: Wednesday 4th May, 1pm – 7pm (late night) Thursday 5th May, 8.30am – 5pm Friday 6th May, 8.30am – 1pm

The timetable of free seminars is as follows:

Wednesday 4th May 1.00pm Keynote address (David Brown) 2.00pm Wellness in Action (case study: Frucor Beverages) 4.45pm Work makes me sick (a former boatbuilder's struggle with neurotoxicity)

Thursday 5th May 9.00am OSH's wider perspective (Mike Cosman, OSH national operations manager) 11.45am Trends in OSH prosecutions (Clayton Kimpton, Kensington Swan) 2.30pm To drug test or not to drug test? (pro-testing and anti-testing viewpoints) 4.00pm The long spiral to depression (Bronwyn Thompson, Burwood Hospital)

Friday 6th May 9.00am Making your training more effective (Paul Pascoe, Professional Safety Solutions, Australia) 10.15am Casual employees in high-risk work (Roana Carran, Coverstaff) Further information:

ENDS

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